Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM

The long rumoured replacement for Canon’s old telescoping EF100-400mm lens is finally here. I was kinda disappointed when Canon didn’t announce the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM during the 7D Mark II announcement. Well, better late then never.

The new design of the EF100-400mm F/4.5-5.6L IS II USM now allows focus on subjects as close as 0.98m. The maximum magnification ability of the new lens has been improved substantially to 0.31x which is the best in its class. This effectively reduces the minimum focusing distance by almost half, making it possible to shoot very fine details or close-up photos of small subjects.

The EF100-400mm F/4.5-5.6L IS II USM is suited for daylight and outdoor situations, where backlight flaring and ghosting are legitimate concerns. Canon has used the new ASC (Air Sphere Coating) technology to create a special film that includes air spheres filled with low refractive index air, effectively forming a layer with excellent anti-reflective effects and clear rendering.

The EF100-400mm F/4.5-5.6L IS II USM also features a significantly enhanced Image Stabilization unit. The lens’ new IS unit provides an IS performance improvement from 1.5 steps to 4 steps and three different modes of optimal stabilization. This help the users tackle the challenges of photographing subjects with irregular movement moving at high speeds easily.

No news on the pricing and availability of the EF100-400mm F/4.5-5.6L IS II USM in Singapore yet. It will be available in the US this coming December at US$2199.